


Heartfelt

by anysin



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Apologies, Complicated Relationships, Gen, References to Branding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-11-18 19:44:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11297550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anysin/pseuds/anysin
Summary: Dipper has something to say to sleeping Stan.





	Heartfelt

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place after Dungeons, Dungeons and More Dungeons.

“Grunkle Stan?”

To Dipper’s relief, Stan is asleep. That is crucial, because not only is Dipper certain that he won’t be able to do this if Stan is awake, he’s sure that Stan won’t be receptive to this at all. Which is fine, Dipper is okay with that, but Dipper needs to do this for himself. With a deep breath, he approaches his sleeping uncle.

“Grunkle Stan,” he whispers, walking over to the man and his armchair. He sits down on the dinosaur skull. “We need to talk.”

They don’t really, but he needs some kind of starter line for their one-sided conversation. With another deep breath, he starts:

“I’m glad you’re okay with me and Ford hanging out.” He smiles a little, still happy about that. As much as he likes Grunkle Ford and wants to spend time with him, he did feel kind of bad about doing that without Stan’s approval. Somewhere deep inside, anyway. “I think you two should get around to doing that, too. He misses you.”

He pauses then, watching Stan’s face in case it’s showing signs of Stan smelling bullshit. It doesn’t.

“Speaking of Grunkle Ford, I have been thinking about what you two told us about your past. Especially about your past, Grunkle Stan.”

He pauses again, biting his lip.

“I’ve been thinking about how you got your brand.”

Unable to face Stan, even a sleeping one, he looks down at his hands instead.

“You probably remember how I was harassing you about your tattoo, don’t you? You were so angry when I followed you into the shower.” Dipper chuckles despite himself, too loudly; tensing, he glances at Stan, whose eyes remain shut. Relaxing a little, he continues: “I didn’t mean anything bad by it, you know that, right? I was just curious. I wanted to know more about it.”

He tries to stop wringing his hands. He fails.

“I wanted to know more about you.”

When he really thinks about it, he still does. Of all weird things he’s seen in Gravity Falls, Grunkle Stan is still by far the weirdest, and even now that he knows something about the man, he doesn’t think he’s any closer to understanding him. And Dipper wants to understand him, so much. He wants to unlock his brain, properly and without any evil triangles around, really figure out who the guy is. He thinks he’s always going to want that.

“What I’m saying is that I’m sorry you were hurt. I’m sorry I was insensitive about your brand.” He moves over to sit on the arm of the chair, careful to avoid the actual arm of Stan, and reaches out to rest his own arm carefully around Stan’s wide shoulders. He leans in to press his cheek against Stan’s, feeling the scratch of the stubble against his own smooth cheek. “I hope you’re not hurting anymore.”

He pulls away slowly, careful not to look at the brand as it peeks out from beneath Stan’s undershirt. As he’s leaving, he hears Stan groan in his sleep and shift his position.

It’s only in his own bed when he realizes just how absolutely silent and still Stan was during their talk, like he was being that intentionally.


End file.
